Collar construction for shirts



Sept. 27, 1966 w, PIEHLER 3,274,615

COLLAR CONSTRUCTION FOR SHIRTS Filed Dec. 21, 1964 l/VVENTOA WENDELL hfIOIEHLER United States Patent 3,274,615 COLLAR CONSTRUCTION FOR SHIRTSWendell H. Piehler, Box 11, New London, N.H. 03257 Filed Dec. 21, 1964,Ser. No. 419,994

2 Claims. (Cl. 2141) My invention is directed toward shirts havingattached turn-down collars and employing tabs for holding the wings ortips of the collars in place.

It is an object of my invention to provide a new and improved shirthaving a tab collar which can be worn either with a necktie or open neckwith the tabs concealed from view.

Another object is to provide a new and improved shirt of the characterindicated wherein when worn open neck the collar is held secure in thesame manner as the conventional button down shirt except that alldevices for so securing the collar are not visible.

Still another object is to provide a new and improved shirt of thecharacter indicated wherein my inventive modifications do not increasethe cost of the shirt significantly.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of myinvention will now be explained with reference both to thisspecification and to the drawings,

wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is another view of my invention showing the inside of thecollar and the relationships of the tabs; and

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view taken along 33 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now to FIGURES 1-3, there is shown a shirt having a collarwith an inner fold 12 and an outer turned down fold 14 having opposededges or ends 16 and 20 which are spaced in front of the shirt to definea necktie receiving space.

First and second tabs 18 and 22 are provided.

Tab 22 is secured at one end to the inside of fold 14 adjacent edge 20.Tab 18 is secured at one end to the inside of fold 14 adjacent edge 16.

I further provide a snap fastener 30 having a male element secured tothe free end of one of the tabs and a female element secured to the freeend of the other of the tabs. These elements can be detachably securedto each other at the center of the necktie receiving space to permit theshirt to be worn with a tie in conventional manner.

In addition, I provide two additional snap fasteners, each associatedwith a corresponding one of the tabs. Each fastener includes a maleelement 32 secured to the corresponding tab intermediate the endsthereof and a female element 34 secured to the inner fold 12 at a pointadjacent the corresponding one of ends 16 and 20 but hidden from View.

When the shirt is to be worn open collar, each tab is folded upon itselfso that element 32 can be engaged 3 ,Z 74 ,6 l 5 Patented Sept. 27, 1966detachably to element 34 to hold the collar in place Without elements 32and 3 4 being visible.

All of the snap fasteners can be quickly and easily engaged anddisengaged whereby the shirt is readily and easily and quickly convertedfrom necktie receiving to open neck position and vice versa.

While I have described my invention with particular reference to thedrawings, my protection is to be limited only by the terms of the claimswhich follow.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. In a shirt having an attached tab collar which has an inner fold andan outer fold, the outer fold forming a turn-down portion having twoopposed ends which are spaced in front of the shirt to define a necktiereceiving space, the combination therewith of a pair of tabs having afirst position at which the opposed ends are detachably connected andhaving a second position at which each of said tabs is secured to theinner fold at a position adjacent the corresponding end and hidden fromview, each tab being connected at one end to the inside of the outerfold adjacent a corresponding end of the outer fold, the other end ofsaid each tab extending to the front center of the collar across thenecktie receiving space, a first snap fastener having male and femaleportions respectively carried by the free ends of said tabs, and secondand third snap fasteners, one associated with each tab, each second andthird fastener having male and female elements, one of said elementsbeing attached to the corresponding tab at a point intermediate the endsthereof, the other of said elements being secured to the inner foldadjacent the corresponding opposed end of the outer fold but hidden fromview, all of said fasteners having alternative locked and openpositions, whereby said shirt is adapted to be Worn with a tie when saidtabs are in the first position and the opposite ends are connected andthe fasteners are secured in locked position and whereby said shirt isadapted to be worn open neck without a tie when said tabs are in thesecond position and at least said first fastener is in the openposition.

2. A shirt as set forth in claim 1 wherein the male element of eachadditional fastener is said one element.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,213,954 1/1917Roney 2-98 X 2,905,945 9/1959 Winter 2132 3,038,165 6/1962 Gross 2-1413,076,198 2/1963 Clyne 2-132 3,135,965 6/1964 Frank 2-141 FOREIGNPATENTS 165,455 10/ 1949 Austria. 473,827 5/1951 Canada.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

J. R. BOLER, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A SHIRT HAVING AN ATTACHED TAB COLLAR WHICH HAS AN INNER FOLD ANDAN OUTER FOLD, THE OUTER FOLD FORMING A TURN-DOWN PORTION HAVING TWOOPPOSED ENDS WHICH ARE SPACED IN FRONT OF THE SHIRT TO DEFINE A NECKTIERECEIVING SPACE, THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF A PAIR OF TABS HAVING AFIRST PORTION AT WHICH THE OPPOSED ENDS ARE DETACHABLY CONNECTED ANDHAVING A SECOND POSITION AT WHICH EACH OF SAID TABS IS SECURED TO THEINNER FOLD AT A POSITION ADJACENT THE CORRESPONDING END AND HIDDEN FROMVIEW, EACH TAB BEING CONNECTED AT ONE END TO THE INSIDE OF THE OUTERFOLD ADJACENT A CORRESPONDING END OF THE OUTER FOLD, THE OTHER END OFSAID EACH TAB EXTENDING TO THE FRONT CENTER OF THE COLLAR ACROSS THENECKTIE RECEIVING SPACE, A FIRST SNAP FASTENER HAVING MALE AND FEMALEPORTIONS RESPECTIVELY CARRIED BY THE FREE ENDS OF SAID TABS, AND SECONDAND THIRD SNAP FASTENERS, ONE ASSOCIATED WITH EACH TAB, EACH SECOND ANDTHIRD FASTENER HAVING MALE AND FEMALE ELEMENTS, ONE OF SAID ELEMENTSBEING ATTACHED TO THE CORRESPONDING TAB AT A POINT INTERMEDIATE THE ENDSTHEREOF, THE OTHER OF SAID ELEMENTS BEING SECURED TO THE INNER FOLDADJACENT THE CORRESPONDING OPPOSED END OF THE OUTER FOLD BUT HIDDEN FROMVIEW, ALL OF SAID FASTENERS HAVING ALTERNATIVE LOCKED AND OPENPOSITIONS, WHEREBY SAID SHIRT IS ADAPTED TO BE WORN WITH A TIE WHEN SAIDTABS ARE IN THE FIRST POSITION AND THE OPPOSITE ENDS ARE CONNECTED ANDTHE FASTENERS ARE SECURED IN LOCKED POSITION AND WHEREBY SAID SHIRT ISADAPTED TO BE WORN OPEN NECK WITHOUT A TIE WHEN SAID TABS ARE IN THESECOND POSITION AND AT LEAST SAID FIRST FASTENER IS IN THE OPENPOSITION.